Car conveyor, in particular for a washing car machine

ABSTRACT

Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine, which moves the car with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels on one side at least and which consists of an elastic tube flattening under the car wheel to full closure, into which tube a liquid or gaseous pressure medium is conducted so that the stop moving the car wheel is formed of the inflating tube. The tube has been composed of hollow wedge-like parts, which have been placed one into the other and joined at their outer rims so that within the tube chambers are formed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part there is an aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber to the other.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,785,295

Kiukkonen 1 Jan. 15, 1974 CAR CONVEYOR, IN PARTICULAR FOR A 3,610,39210/1971 Parker 104/155 HI A CH 3,691,961 9/1972 Zeljman 104/155 [75]Inventor: Olli Juhani Kiukkonen, Kotka,

Finland Primary Examiner- Robert G. Sheridan Assistant Examiner- RichardA. Bertsch [73] Assignee: Rateko 0y, Karhula, Finland Att0rneyToren andMcGeady [22] Filed: June 27, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 266,619

[57] ABSTRACT Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washingmachine, which moves the car with the aid of [30] Foreign ApplicationPriority Data stops pushing against the wheels on one side at least Mar.21. 1972 #5151161L.".......'ll.f......;..... 7 76/72 n hich consists ofan elastic tube flattening under the car wheel to full closure, intowhich tube a liquid 52 11.5. c1. 104 155, 104/172 B, 198/1 or gaseouspressure medium is conducted so that the [51] Int. Cl. B65g 35/00 pmoving the Car Wheel is formed of the inflating [58] Field of Search104/172 B, 154, 155; tube The tube has been p d of hollow' wedge- 193/1like parts, which have been placed one into the other and joined attheir outer rims so that within the tube [56] Refer Cit d chambers areformed, and that at the narrower end of UNITED STATES PATENTS thewedge-shaped part there is an aperture for con- 236,555 1/1881 Conger104/155 gt the pressure medwm from one chamber to the 2,856,139 lO/l958Lockwood 104/155 6 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures CAR CONVEYOR, IN PARTICULARFOR A WASHING CAR MACHINE The present invention concerns a car conveyor,in particular one intended for a car washing machine, which moves thecar with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels at least on oneside of the car and which consists of an elastic tube that is flattenedto full closure under the car wheel, and into which tube liquid orgaseous pressure medium is conducted so that the stop moving the wheelis formed by the inflated tube.

Car conveyors employed in car washing machines are usually mechanicaland they are based on the use of a chain or equivalent, which conveysthe car at a constant speed from one washing phase to the other.Conveyors of this kind are complex and expensive, in addition to whichit has been found in practice that they are easily damaged and that theyexpose the workers to danger. Endeavours have therefore been made tointroduce simpler and less dangerous conveyors. One such is a tube whichis flattened under the wheel so that it is fully closed and into which aliquid under pressure is supplied. On the upper wall of the tubetransverse ridges have been provided, which under the car wheel areurged into a corresponding grove in the lower wall of the tube, therebysealing the tube to be closed at this point. However, it is difficult tomake a structure of this kind completely tight despite the fact that theserrations engage with each other. This also means that air cannot beused as pressure medium. Furthermore, in this design the ratio of thepropagating force and lifting force is low.

The aim of'the present invention is to provide a car conveyor which isfree of the drawbacks mentioned above. A car conveyor according to theinvention is characterized in that the tube has been formed of hollow,wedge-like sections which have been placed one in the other and attachedto each other by their outer edges so that in the tube chambers areformed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part there isan aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber toanother. A conveyor of this kind has, above all, the advantage ofreliability in service and that as a pressure medium also a gas, such ascompressed air, may be used. In a conveyor according to the inventionthe ratio of the propulsive force and the lifting force is alsosubstantially higher than in any structures of prior art.

According to an advantageous embodiment of the invention the partsconstituting the tube are conical. It has found to be particularlyadvantageous if the parts constituting the tube are oblique cones, theapertures at their narrower end lying closer to the lower surface of theconveyor than to its upper surface. Each such chamber forms a stop ofappropriate shape, which efficiently pushes the car wheel and at thesame time the entire car forwardly.

According to another advantageous embodiment one may also form the tubeof membranes which have been attached to each other and to the lowersurface of the conveyor so that they constitute chambers. In this case,too, the chambers are wedge-shaped and such that with their aid the mostefficient car-transporting force possible is obtained.

In some car washing machines it is advantageous to make sucharrangements that the car moves at different speeds in different washingstages. It is then possible according to a third advantageous embodimentto make such arrangements that the tube has been subdivided into atleast two consecutive zones into each of which separately pressuremedium may be introduced.

In order that spikes, or equivalent guards against slipping, which maybe found on the car tire, or sand carried along with the tire might notdamage the elastic tube constituting the conveyor, it is furthermorepossible according to an advantageous embodiment to make sucharrangements that a protective carpet has been placed upon the tube.

The invention is described in the following with the aid of an examplewith reference to the attached drawing, wherein: A

FIG. I shows wedge-like parts, of which the elastic tube has beenformed,

FIG. 2 presents the elastic tube, with the wedge-like parts mutuallyjoined,

FIG. 3 shows a car conveyor in elevational view and partly in section,

FIG. 4 shows the section along the line lV-IV in FIG. 3,

FIG. 5 shows the section along the line VV in FIG.

FIG. 6 shows the car conveyor at the point where the car wheel resides,as seen from the side and sectioned,

FIG. 7 shows schematically the car conveyor and the car, viewed fromabove,

FIG. 8 presents another embodiment in schematical presentation, and

FIG. 9 shows the wedge-like part according to a third embodiment.

In FIG. 1 those parts have been separately shown which constitute theprincipal part of the conveyor, that is the tube which is flattened tofull closure under the car wheel. Each part 4 is composed of a conicalportion 11 and a cylindrical portion 12. The free outer edge of these,5, attaches tightly to the juncture 13 of the conical and cylindricalportions of the next part. For introduction of pressure medium into thetube 2 in the part 14 an aperture 15 opening to one side has beenformed. Correspondingly, the narrower end of the exit part 16 has beenshaped as a downwardly opening exit port 17. All parts except this exitpart 16 have at their narrow end an aperture 7.

In FIG. 2 these parts 16, 4 and 14 have been joined, whereby in theinterior of each part a separate chamber 6 is formed. The pressuremedium proceeds from the introduction part 14 towards the exit part 16,passing from the chamber 6 through the aperture 7 into the correspondingchamber of the next part.

In FIG. 3 a car conveyor having a plurality of zones has been shown. Thepressure medium is introduced through the aperture 15 at the initial endof the zones, and it escapes through the apertures 17 at the ultimateends of the zones. In FIG. 4 there is seen the supply duct 18, throughwhich the pressure medium is conducted to the zones, and the exit duct19, through which the pressure medium escapes. In the cross section seenin FIG. 5, a protective carpet 10 has been placed upon the elastic tube2, and topmost there are guiding borders 20, which keep the car wheelcentred upon the conveyor.

In FIG. 6 the situation is depicted in which the car wheel 3 hasflattened the tube 2 to full closure. Pressure medium is then introducedthrough the supply aperture 15 at the initial end of the zone into thechamber 6, whereby the pressure of the pressure medium urges the wheelin forward direction. At the same time pressure medium passes throughthe aperture 7 into the chamber formed by the next wedge-like part,which pushes the wheel further, thus transporting the car forwardly. Thepressure medium proceeds from one chamber into the next as the wheel 3moves forward, until it emerges through the exit port 17 of the exitpart at the end of the zone. Simultaneously, however, the next zone hasalready commenced to move the car forwardly.

In the schematic drawing of FIG. 7, the car conveyor has been formed ofone zone only. The pump 21 then supplies pressure medium to the initialend of the conveyor. In the case of FIG. 8 there are several zones, andthe pump 21 supplies pressure medium to the initial end of each zone.Valves 22 are used to regulate the amount of pressure medium going toeach individual zone.

In FIG. 9 an alternative design has been presented for forming the tube2. Instead of the conical and cylindrical parts one may use membranes 9,of which the upper sides and sides of the chambers 6 are formed. Thelower surface 8 of the conveyor serves as lower part of the tube, thetube 2 composed of the membranes 9 being tightly pressed against it.

It is obvious to one skilled in the art that different embodiments ofthe invention may vary within the scope of the claims set forth below.For instance, it is not essential what shape the chambers 6 have or howthe parts constituting the chambers are attached to each other. It isessential that the tube 2, which can be flattened, has been formed ofwedge-like parts, which by the aid ofa pressure medium produce a forcepushing the car wheel 3 forwardly. The pressure medium may be liquid orgaseous.

I claim:

1. Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine,which moves the car with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels onone side at least and which consists of an elastic tube flattening underthe car wheel to full closure, into which tube a fluid pressure mediumis conducted so that the stop moving the car wheel is formed of theinflating tube, wherein the improvement comprises that the tube has beencomposed of hollow wedge-like parts, which have been placed one into theother and joined at their outer rims so that within the tube chambersare formed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part thereis an aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber tothe other.

2. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the partsconstituting the tube are conical.

3. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the partsconstituting the tube are oblique cones, the apertures at their narrowerend lying closer to the lower surface of the conveyor than to its uppersurface.

4. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube hasbeen composed of membranes attached to each other and to the lowersurface of the conveyor so as to form chambers.

5. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that the tube hasbeen divided into at least two consecutive zones, to each of whichpressure medium can be separately conducted.

6. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in that upon thetube a protective carpet has been placed.

1. Car conveyor, in particular one intended for a car washing machine,which moves the car with the aid of stops pushing against the wheels onone side at least and which consists of an elastic tube flattening underthe car wheel to full closure, into which tube a fluid pressure mediumis conducted so that the stop moving the car wheel is formed of theinflating tube, wherein the improvement comprises that the tube has beencomposed of hollow wedge-like parts, which have been placed one into theother and joined at their outer rims so that within the tube chambersare formed, and that at the narrower end of the wedge-shaped part thereis an aperture for conducting the pressure medium from one chamber tothe other.
 2. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in thatthe parts constituting the tube are conical.
 3. Car conveyor accordingto claim 1, characterized in that the parts constituting the tube areoblique cones, the apertures at their narrower end lying closer to thelower surface of the conveyor than to its upper surface.
 4. Car conveyoraccording to claim 1, characterized in that the tube has been composedof membranes attached to each other and to the lower surface of theconveyor so as to form chambers.
 5. Car conveyor according to claim 1,characterized in that the tube has been divided into at least twoconsecutive zones, to each of which pressure medium can be separatelyconducted.
 6. Car conveyor according to claim 1, characterized in thatupon the tube a protective carpet has been placed.